Mark King is nothing if not brash. That’s how he revitalized TaylorMade Golf Co. more than a decade ago. Now as CEO of TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company, King remains bold and direct.
TaylorMade-adidas Golf Company CEO Mark King
So it’s not surprising that King took a verbal shot at the U.S. Golf Association and Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews in an interview with England’s Daily Telegraph newspaper. King questioned the ruling bodies’ proposed ban on players anchoring putters against their bodies and even predicted the demise of the USGA.
“The anchoring ban makes no sense to me at all,” King told the Telegraph. “If I were running the PGA of America, I would write my own set of rules. I’d do it with the PGA Tour. The industry needs to come together without the USGA. Leave them out.
“Here’s a prediction: The USGA within 10 years will be a nonentity. They will be a non-factor in golf because they are choosing to be on the outside and no one is signing up for what they represent. The industry is going to move away from them and pass them. They’re obsolete. I hate to say that but that’s their behavior.”
Little wonder why King is one of my favorite golf execs.
